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OSU Mission StatementThe Orchestra of Southern Utah (OSU) exists to imbue our community with a responsiveness to the musical arts through our live performances. OSU History. The History of the Orchestra of Southern Utah As of December 2007
Frontier days of poverty and privation in southern Utah were made more bearable by traditions of music, dance, and drama brought by early pioneers from New York, Ohio, and Illinois, as well as England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Music was an essential social and religious force both in church services and recreational activities, and lightened the burdens of many immigrants who settled the area. Holidays, weddings, and other special occasions included a variety of musical presentations and dancing. From the time Mormon pioneers first arrived in November 1851, fiddlers provided dance music to keep the settlers warm enough to survive winter evenings on the banks of Coal Creek. In 1870, Joseph and Gomer Cosslett, two brothers from Wales, came to the area as brick makers from Salt Lake City. Joseph formed an orchestra and band which played for dances and serenaded in the streets on holidays. He also opened the first music store in Cedar City where he sold sheet music and instruments. In the 1880s John Chatterley organized a fine brass band in Cedar City with fourteen to eighteen members. These musical organizations provided friendship and camaraderie as well as social opportunities for the members and their families. The year 1919 saw a rejuvenation of the Cedar City Band, complete with uniforms and a new bandstand in the City Park. Sunday evening concerts in the park, or in the tabernacle during the winter months, brought the community together. Highlights in local musical history of the 1920s included the establishment of the Cedar City Band as an official military unit of the United States Army. An orchestra has existed as a part of Southern Utah University (SUU) since its founding in 1897 (then known as the Branch Normal School). Orien Dalley conducted that orchestra during the 1920s, then left to pursue a distinguished career in Michigan where he assisted in founding the now internationally famous Interlochen Performing Arts School. Upon retirement, he donated ninety string instruments to SUU which are still being used today by southern Utah string students. The tradition of having a community musical organization has continued through the twentieth century and evolved more fully during the time of Roy L. Halversen’s tenure as orchestra conductor for SUU. Under his direction, students from middle and high schools, the college, and community came together to provide music for symphony concerts, opera productions, and the annual “Messiah.” Mr. Halversen studied violin at Julliard and in Berlin before coming to Cedar City, where he had planned to stay for only a few years, but remained a lifetime. The Orchestra of Southern Utah's annual spring concert, featuring the winners of youth soloist auditions, has recently been named the “Roy L. Halversen Young Artist Concert” as a tribute to his inspiring influence. The current Orchestra of Southern Utah (OSU) is a semi-professional ensemble of dedicated professional and amateur musicians drawing its membership from throughout the Iron County area. Providing classical and popular musical performances, OSU sponsors a Fall Recital Series and accompanies the annual “Messiah” production, in addition to a Children’s Carnival, and Fall, Winter, and Spring concerts each season. OSU conductors have included Hal K. Campbell, David Nyman, James Harrison, Gerard Yun, and Xun Sun, with guest conductors Perry Arnett, Benjamin Winkler, Kory Katseanes, and Joel Neves. The Orchestra of Southern Utah incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1988, governed by a Board of Directors. Founding Board members were Fred C. Adams, LuAnne J. Brown, Hal K. Campbell, Evelyn K. Jones, York Jones, Anne O. Leavitt, Mary MacDonald, Sara Penny, Luree S. Schmutz, Virginia Stitt, and June Thorley. Co-sponsored by SUU for many years, OSU became an independent community organization in 1996, and used Cedar City’s original auditorium, “Orchestra Hall,” formerly located at 300 West and Harding Avenue, for its rehearsal and performance venue. “Orchestra Hall” was eventually determined to be unsafe and was demolished in 2001. The orchestra then utilized auditoriums at Cedar Middle School, Cedar High School, and SUU until the recent completion of Cedar City’s new downtown concert hall, the Heritage Center. OSU played for its grand opening on June 29, 2002, where it now has a permanent home. Past OSU presidents Sara Penny and Inez Urie worked with other local arts leaders to encourage the funding and building of a local performing arts center, contributing ideas regarding the building’s design and features. In the Heritage Center, Cedar City now has a stage large enough to accommodate a sizeable orchestra and chorus for annual “Messiah” productions, as well as touring Broadway shows, business conventions, and other performing groups. OSU is one of the constituent organizations which perform regularly in this beautiful facility, and holds a legal agreement with the city providing for storage of its extensive music library, percussion instruments, music stands, and Baldwin grand piano. Holiday performances of Handel’s “Messiah” have continued as a long-standing tradition in Cedar City. In 1924 William H. Manning was appointed head of the Branch Agricultural College (BAC) Music Department and conductor of the Cedar City Tabernacle Choir. He chose to perform the first “Messiah” on New Year’s Day 1925 with the choir accompanied by an orchestra drawn from the community and the BAC. Beginning in December 1940, this inspiring oratorio has been presented nearly every year to the present as a “Christmas gift to the community.” The year 2007 marks the 67th production of this timeless classic in Cedar City. Current OSU leadership
includes Music Director and Conductor Xun Sun, board president Harold Shirley,
vice-president June Thorley, secretary Laura Lee, treasurer Kathleen Cloward,
manager Sara Penny, executive director Pete Akins, music librarians Hal and Joan
Campbell, media specialist Ken Hedgecock, and board members: Patrick Dowse,
Jolene Heit, Blaine Hofeling, Marlo Ihler, Bryan Jackson, Brooke MacNaughtan,
and Grace St. Pierre. Laurel Dodgion serves as publicity director with Ann
Duggan as Administrative Assistant. Joel and Lara Neves assist with Management
Services. Joel Neves is also assistant conductor. To download a copy of the OSU History, please click download OSU History.
Back to TopHow Can I Join OSU as a Musician?Orchestra musicians are invited to audition for the Orchestra of Southern Utah before the first rehearsal of the season by contacting the section leaders. Advanced high school, college and community musicians are invited to audition. For violin auditions: auditions are held in late August and January. If you would like to join the ranks of OSU as a musician you will need to have a friendly audition with either the OSU conductor or the OSU section leader for your instrument. Go to the Personnel section and just email the proper person who will contact you for an audition. Please understand that this is a commitment on your behalf to attend all scheduled rehearsals (Thursday nights at 7PM) and concerts as well as rehearse your part at home. The music OSU performs ranges from mildly difficult to extremely difficult and cannot be performed adequately by just attending rehearsals once a week. Back to TopHow Can I Join OSU as a Volunteer?It takes many, many man hours to operate and sustain a full symphony orchestra! This is no small task and anyone wanting to lend a hand is more than welcome! If you are interested in helping OSU, please leave an email for Sara Penny (OSU Manager) and she will contact you soon. Her email address can be found on the Home page. Back to TopWhat is ... ?[This is the answer to the question.] Back to TopWhen is ... ?[This is the answer to the question.] Back to TopCopyright © 2004 [Orchestra of Southern Utah]. All rights reserved.
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